I imagined my 60th birthday would feel comforting — a full dinner table, laughter, and the familiar voices of my children.Instead, the house was painfully quiet. The food I prepared slowly went cold, and every passing minute made the empty chairs feel heavier. When someone finally knocked on the door, it didn’t sound like family at all.I waited four hours for my six children to arrive.Four long hours sitting alone at a table set for seven, surrounded by plates of food and a heart full of hope.When I married their father, he always said he wanted a big family.“A noisy house,” he used to joke. “A table that’s always full.”And that’s exactly what we built — six children in ten years: Mark, Jason, Caleb, Grant, Sarah, and Eliza. Four boys and two girls, enough energy and noise to shake the walls.

Then one day, their father decided the chaos was too much. He met another woman online, overseas. Within months he packed a suitcase and left, claiming he needed to “find himself.”That evening, I cooked all my children’s favorite dishes. I used my best plates, ironed cloth napkins, and carefully set the table because I wanted the night to feel meaningful.At 4 PM, I peeked through the blinds, hoping to see a car in the driveway.At 5 PM, I sent a message to the family group chat:“Drive safely.”I saw Sarah typing — the three dots appeared — and then disappeared. No reply.